


Dream SMP One-Shots

by memyselfandi22



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: 2020 L'Manberg Election on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Dream Smp, L'Manberg War of Independence on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Manberg Festival on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Post-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Pre-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Tommy is sad, Tommy returns, Tubbo death, dream smp headcanons, dream smp rewritten, idk what else to put lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28389540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memyselfandi22/pseuds/memyselfandi22
Summary: Short stories. Written out bits of the SMP roleplay. Some AU stuff and headcanons in there. Just what the title says.Not very accurate, just for practice.THEY GET BETTER... I think.
Kudos: 12





	1. Tommy's Thoughts in the Nether

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's thoughts above the lava in the Nether while he was in exile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Suicidal thoughts

The portal in front of him glowed brightly. Not the warm natural light, like the fire around him. It was a dark purple. Small particles of purple floated around it. Every few seconds, a gentle breeze would rush from it.

Tommy stood in front of it. Not close enough that he could step into it. Sapnap stood on one side of him, Dream on the other. They were both fully covered in armor. The armor was a purplish-blue color. Every time they moved, it seemed to shift. It was mesmerizing to watch. Tommy had had his own set, until just a few days ago, when Dream had thrown it into lava. "You can't keep anything. You have to start over." The masked man had reminded. So Tommy, against his will, had had to give up everything he owned. The only things he was allowed to keep were the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet. He had to start from scratch, alone.

He wasn't really alone. He had Wilbur. Well, Ghostbur was what his name was now. Although Ghostbur didn't exist. Tommy couldn't accept that fact. Wilbur's ghost was real. If it was just a figment of his imagination to cope, then he would be going crazy. If he was crazy, Tubbo would've thrown him out for a good reason. No, Wilbur's ghost was real. No one else could see it, that's all.

The three, four including Ghostbur, were in the Nether. Tommy had managed to make a portal from Logsted to the hellish region, but Dream and Sapnap had been sent to check on him. Make sure he wasn't trying to return to L'Manberg. He wasn't, and now Sapnap was going back. Dream was still going to stay with him, until he left the nether.

Sapnap turned to Tommy and began to walk backwards. "Tommy, Tommy, watch this." He said loudly. He continued to back up until he was right in front of the portal, and then smiled. "Are you jealous?" He asked, obviously joking.

Tommy saw Dream smile from the corner of his eye, and then his smile went away when he saw Tommy's gaze on him. "Stop mocking him." He said, although Tommy could tell he didn't mean it at all.

With a final step backwards, Sapnap disappeared through the portal. His voice faded out. A few seconds later, Dreams walkie talkie started to buzz with static. He pulled it from his belt and pressed a button. Sapnap's voice rang through clearly. "Oh my gosh, I'm home! It's so beautiful. There's a giant tree, a Christmas tree!"

He sounded so excited that Tommy couldn't help but share his enthusiasm. "Can I go and look at the Christmas tree?" He asked to Dream.

Dream shook his head. "No, Tommy, you- where's Ghostbur?" Yes, Dream knew about Ghostbur. Tommy had told him, hoping someone else could see him. Dream couldn't, and he treated him like Tommy's imaginary, made up friend. It hurt.

"I don't know where you are. I've lost you all." Ghostbur said. Although he acted and looked like a real person, there were certain differences. For one, he was transparent. And whenever he spoke, Tommy could hear it no matter where he was. It was helpful and comforting.

Tommy repeated the words to Dream. Dream turned around and looked at the bridge. It was made of dark nether brick. On one end was the piece of land with the nether portal. The other piece of land was full of materials. The only thing in between them was a sea of lava. He seemed to be looking back for Ghostbur, although Dream knew he would never see him. "Well, how about this. Wilbur can catch up, and-"

Tommy interrupted him. "No, but I wanna have Christmas with my friends."

Dream's voice rose slightly. It sounded like a warning. It seemed to be saying, 'you know you can't do that.' It was so subtle that Tommy barely noticed it, especially since Dream sounded so unbothered. "You could have Christmas with your friends, just not there."

"You mean alone." Dream spun around quickly to make sure Tommy hadn't neared the portal. Tommy still stood in the exact same place. Dream was met with a stone cold gaze. Tommy continued. "Let's be honest. If I go through, you're not gonna kill me." He shrugged casually

Dream put his hand on his sword. "If you go through, I will kill you." He said with no hesitation.

"What about my home?" Tommy scoffed. This was all absurd. Why didn't anyone realize that?

He raised his eyebrows, and kept his hand on his sword. "Tommy, I will actually kill you." Dream said seriously.

Tommy saw movement on the bridge. Ghostbur was sprinting down it, a wide smile on his face. When he made it to the portal, he wasn't even out of breath. "Why don't I take a picture of the tree and bring it back to you?" He suggested. He held up a camera. Where had he even gotten that from?

Again, he repeated what Ghostbur said to Dream. He didn't seem to have a problem with Tommy's "imaginary friend" going back to L'Manberg. "Yeah, that works."

"Dream, you've got to come see it. It's really pretty." Sapnap said through their communication device. There were some other voices on his end. Tommy couldn't figure out who they were.

Dream walked back to the portal and stood in front of it for a moment. "Tommy, stay here." He took a final glance at Tommy. Both of their eyes looked down at Dream's enchanted sword, and then Dream stepped through and disappeared. Ghostbur followed, waved wildly to Tommy before doing so.

Tommy couldn't help but wonder if Ghostbur felt anything physically. When he went through the portal, did he feel the cold pins and needles? It was an odd sensation, like your whole body fell asleep at once. Then, as soon as you got out of the portal, it faded away quickly. Did Ghostbur get to feel that, or had his physical senses died with him? Did he feel emotion anymore? Could he smell, or taste? He had died after begging someone to kill him. He had died full of regret laced with insanity. Was that the last emotion he had ever felt? Was he always happy now because that's the only thing he could be?

Always happy. Wouldn't that be nice. No matter what circumstances Ghostbur was in, all he could produce were smiles and laughs. No negativity in his life. No nights where he fell asleep crying. He never got so angry that he punched a wall, watching blood drip down from his knuckles. Never again would he be terrified, paralyzed from fear, with the only feeling in his whole body being that of tears dried on his cheeks. Ghostbur had it good. He didn't have to suffer anymore. Dying was the best thing that ever happened to him, it seemed.

The Nether was quiet. In the distance were noises of beasts and mobs, not close enough to threaten Tommy. The portal hissed and flickered. He was still standing by it. There was no point in waiting for Dream. Dream would probably take a long time, talking to his friends. He had friends still. He might even forget about Tommy. He could leave him to die in the Nether, waiting forever for Dream to return. Ghostbur might not even come back. He would see all his friend he loved so much. Even though none of them could see him, he would still stay with them. He would have fun with them, go on adventures with them, and sit around the campfire telling stories with them.

His feet were getting tired from standing. Tommy looked around for anywhere to sit. The ledge of the bridge looked comfortable enough, so he walked over to it and sat down slowly. His legs dangled over the edge. He looked down slowly to see the lava. It was bright orange and glowed warmly. Tommy could feel the heat up there. It was like a fireplace on a cold night. The sea was a long way down, ten stories high at least. Although Tommy had seen it a million times while crossing the bridge, it was different now. Usually, he was terrified while crossing the bridge. One wrong move, and he could slip and fall off. His stomach would be full of butterflies that he'd try to laugh off. Now, sitting above it, he was calm. He felt more grounded. His mind was clear and no butterflies were inside him now. He enjoyed the peace.

Then his thoughts traveled back to the problems of his life. They always did. It didn't matter if it was day or night, or where he was. His worries always found him.

If Ghostbur didn't come back, what would happen? Ghostbur was all Tommy had left. His friends were gone. He had barely any supplies. If Ghostbur was gone, he would have no one. He would have himself to talk to. He would have himself for company. He would have himself to hug. Himself to laugh with. Himself to play games with. Only himself. And he would go mad.

Was this how Wilbur felt before he died? Had he felt this alone? No one else had shared his point of view. They wanted L'Manberg safe while he wanted it gone. He had no one who agreed with him. No one to talk to, only himself. Everyone else knew he was insane. So he was left alone. Tommy couldn't help but pity him.

Although Tommy didn't want to think about it, he had to wonder about what Ghostbur was. He was a ghost, obviously. He had appeared when Tommy was on the L'Manberg wall. Tubbo was telling Dream to lead Tommy away when Ghostbur had appeared on the wall right next to Tubbo. Tommy had gasped and asked, "Is that Wilbur?" Tubbo had looked confused, so Tommy had dropped it. It wasn't Wilbur. It was just a trick of the light.

When Tommy had been brought to what would later become Logsted, Ghostbur had followed along silently. He was looking around at everything curiously. It was like he was distracted by the beauty of the world. He had destroyed it yet was admiring it. When Dream had left, Ghostbur had finally started to speak. He introduced himself, and said that he was a ghost. He didn't seem to know much. He knew he was dead. He knew who Tommy was, but not how he knew him. He knew who everyone was, but not anything except their names. At first, it was scary. Tommy had been afraid Ghostbur would be just like Wilbur. But he wasn't. He listened to Tommy, and was kind and quiet. He was funny, and enjoyed playing games and going exploring. He was like the father that Tommy had never had, but had wanted his whole life.

That's what made him suddenly aware that Ghostbur truly could be fake. He appeared at a time when Tommy was in need of a friend, and he was a friend. He was everything Tommy had ever wanted in a friend. He was supposedly Wilbur's ghost, but acted nothing like him. Besides, only Tommy could see him. It was too perfect. Maybe Dream was right. Maybe he was an imaginary friend. Tommy thought he was spiraling into insanity, but maybe he was already there.

Would lava feel like a hug? The last person who had hugged him was... he couldn't remember. Had it been Tubbo? That made it even worse. He longed for the feeling of someone else's arms wrapped around him. He wanted the familiar warm feeling of another person. Hugging himself wasn't the same. The lava would burn him, but would it feel at all like a hug?

Before Tommy knew what was happening, he was grabbed by the back of his shirt and thrown across the bridge. He landed on his back in the middle of it. He stood up quickly, wondering who his attacker was. It was Dream, who was standing by where Tommy had been sitting. Ghostbur and Sapnap were nowhere to be seen. Tommy glared at him angrily. Why did Dream always ruin his life?

Tommy's glare faded when Dream said, "It's not your time to die yet, Tommy." He didn't sound mad at the exiled boy for trying to give up. He sounded worried for his friend. Dream approached Tommy. He stood awkwardly for a second, thinking. Dream wasn't the most affectionate person, and seemed to be wondering what would be appropriate. He ended up just setting his hand lightly on Tommy's shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

Tommy's face was blank. His sight was on the lava, but at Dreams touch, he was snapped from his trance. He looked at Dream sadly and muttered. "It's never my time to die." Then, he shrugged Dream's hand off and walked away down the bridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, another AU. Its one where Ghostbur is Tommy's imaginary friend to keep him from being alone. He thinks Ghostbur is Wilburs ghost. Everyone on the SMP knows that Ghostbur isn't real, but pretends he is for Tommy's sake. I really love this AU, and I'll probably write more with it. Perhaps Tubbo starts seeing Schlatts ghost too...? Also, this isn't how it actually played out during the stream. Again, I changed it for the sake of the story.


	2. Tubbo's Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo's death at the Manberg Festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death, slight gore

"Our people have been beaten down by royals and by dictators for so long. Now we are finally free. Free to elect who we want! Free to live how we want! And most importantly, free to go wherever we want without the confines of those huge black walls! So with that in mind, I'd like to thank everyone for coming to this wonderful event." Tubbo announced, ending his speech with a grin. A low sigh emerged from Schlatt, and Tubbo's face dropped. "What's wrong?"

The President crossed his legs and propped his head up against his arm. His eyes were stern. "You got anything else in the speech?" He asked, glancing over his citizens who sat silently below him. There were at least 200, all patiently waiting for the president to begin the long awaited festivities.

Tubbo looked briefly back down at his flashcards, and then back up. "Oh, yeah! Let the festival begin!"

Schlatt stood up slowly, dusting off his grey pants. He stayed overlooking the audience. His face flickered towards Tubbo. "Are you done with the speech?"

He flipped through his flashcards once more, and then said, "Yeah, I'm done with the speech, Schlatt." He locked eyes with the leader for just a moment. His hands began to shake. Not enough that it could be seen from the audience, but noticeable to anyone onstage. It wasn't ignored by Schlatt.

Tommy and Wilbur were perched on the roof of the nearby science building. The roof was pitched. The two lay on the tiles, their heads just high enough over the edge of the roof to see what was going on. If they got caught, the price would be death. Nonetheless, they had to be here. They needed to know what had become of L'Manberg. Wilbur needed to press the button. He was excited beyond measure, but kept a poker face.

Schlatt looked past Tubbo to Quackity. The vice president was standing tall, his hands in the pockets of his fine navy suit. Despite the occasion, his beanie was still snug over his head. A few tufts of dark hair stuck out over his tan face. Schlatt approached Quackity swiftly. Tubbo, who hadn't moved from the microphone, watched the two meet in front. It didn't help to calm his nerves when Quackity looked at him for a second.

"Here, take these." The President murmured. Although he likely did it on accident, his voice was loud enough that Tubbo and the front rows of the audience could hear. Tubbo knew exactly where Tommy and Wilbur were. Tommy's blue eyes looked down into his friend's slightly fearful ones. Tubbo's smile never went away, only faded into a nervous one. Quackity drew his hands from his pockets to receive an object from Schlatt. They were handcuffs; shiny, silver, and metal. The sun bounced off of them, creating a dim light.

Tubbo still stood, hands shaking. He didn't move at all. Instead, he dropped his flashcards onto the ground. They scattered like feathers and landed across the wood. His fingers wrapped around the microphone stand. His knuckles turned white quickly. It was as if he held onto it for dear life. When Quackity approached him with the handcuffs, pried his fingers off of the pole, and fastened the restraints around his slim wrists, all Tubbo could do was widen his eyes. His arms were joined in front of him. Quackity had a sort of smirk on his face. He found joy in this. In following Schlatts orders, at least, grateful that he wasn't in this position and never would be. Quackity grabbed the microphone and its stand and rejoined Schlatt in the front corner of the stage. He set down the microphone stand by the edge of the stage, and drew a grew box from his jacket pocket. In the center was a bright red button, which he pressed with no hesitation. From the air above the microphone dropped a metal cage. It was duller than the handcuffs. The cage was small. Tubbo couldn't even turn around in it. He had stayed by the microphone stand according to their plan, and they had put the cage right above it to make sure it trapped him. And it did. The walls of the trap weren't bars, but solid metal. How nobody had seen it before was unknown. The only opening was in the front. It was a large opening that took up the middle section of the front wall. It had been measured perfectly, and it showed the top half of Tubbo's body.

The cage dropping down on him seemed to bring him back to his senses. He ignored Tommy mouthing words to him from the roof, and dared to look Schlatt in his dark eyes. "What are you doing?" Tubbo attempted to chuckle nonchalantly, but it was more of a desperate laugh. He was terrified, yet tried to remain positive. Schlatt would never do something like this. Surely this was one of his cruel pranks. It had to be. He was his right hand man. Unless... no, he couldn't have found out. There was no way. Tubbo had been so secretive, so quiet about the whole thing. Tubbo was thinking nonsense. He couldn't possibly know. "Schlatt... Schlatt, I can't get out." He muttered. He hit his hands against the side of the cage. The handcuffs hitting the metal made a loud sound.

Schlatt stood next to the cage and peered in at Tubbo. Quackity handed him the microphone on cue, and he began to speak. His face was the same as always. Bored, annoyed, a mix of the two. But his voice was pure fire. "Tubbo, I know what you've been up to."

He froze again. His whole body stopped. He couldn't breath. Couldn't think. Couldn't hear. All he knew was a ringing in his ears. With a shaking voice, he whispered, "What? What have I been up to? I don't know what you mean." He didn't even realize he was crying until a warm drop rolled down his cheek. He couldn't reach up to wipe his eyes without scratching his cheek with the restraints.

From the audience, Niki called, "Schlatt, let him out." Her hair was down and hung like a thick curtain over her face. Her eyes were tired and worried. If she said too much, she would receive the same fate, whatever that would be, but she had to prevent what was happening.

Schlatt chuckled, ignoring the girl's plea. "'What have I been up to?' he says. He conspired with the idiots- with the tyrants that we kicked out of this land! That we kicked out of this great country! Tubbo, I don't know if you know this, but treason isn't exactly a respectable thing around here. I know what you've been doing. It all adds up, buddy: The tunnels, your absence from great events! I mean, you walked off in the middle of this one! Don't try and tell me that you've done nothing wrong, because everybody knows it. I see it with my own two eyes what you've been doing. Do you know what happens to traitors, Tubbo?"

Tubbo was pressed against the back of the cage like a scared dog in a kennel. His arms, although in handcuffs, were pressed against his body. Tears continued to fall. His vision was so blurry that he barely noticed it. The more Schlatt spoke, the more Tubbo shook with fear. He swallowed and muttered a no to his previous question. This was what he feared. He had had nightmare after nightmare of this confrontation. None of his terrifying dreams could've prepared him for this. The real thing was far worse. No matter what he said, how much he begged for forgiveness, Schlatt wouldn't listen. Because the president did what he wanted, and there was no one who could stop him.

Schlatt shook his head, but failed at hiding his sickening smile. "Nothing good." He turned back to the crowd and seemed to scan it. For a good few seconds, he looked over his citizens. Their eyes were all on him, from fear more than anything else. His eyes landed on one person, a specific one hiding in the back. "Hey Technoblade, do you want to come up here for a second?"

Technoblade had no reaction to being called upon by the president. He blinked slowly. His face was still, and his voice monotone. "Okay."

He began to walk through the crowd. The people parted for him, making a pathway so he could get to the stage quicker. Not that that's what he wanted at all. The longer it took him to get up there, the longer it would take for Tubbo to escape. For someone to rescue him. For this to end. Niki reached out and grabbed his arm to try and prevent him from going onto the stage. He looked at her, but didn't stop moving, and her hand fell away. He walked up the stairs slowly. His heart was racing as if he were going up to get executed. He felt horrible for being so scared. He wasn't the one trapped inside the box with an unknown fate. Quackity motioned for him to stand a few feet in front of the cage, in between him and Schlatt. It was obvious they had planned this all out perfectly.

The audience collectively gasped and murmured at Schlatt's next move. The president pulled a crossbow out from behind his chair. It was made of fine wood, the nicest one Technoblade had ever seen. Schlatt handed the weapon to Techno, along with a single arrow. Techno was the best warrior in the entire kingdom. He didn't need a second one. "Ladies and gentlemen, the man trapped before us is an enemy of the state and a perpetrator to these awful, awful people." Schlatt waved his arm towards the roof of the science building. Tommy and Wilbur looked down to see hundreds of eyes staring back at them. Some of them overjoyed at the presence of the Pogtopia citizens, some of them scared. The two's stomachs dropped. How had he known, and not cared or mentioned it until now? But Schlatt was already focused back on the armed man. "If you would be so kind as to take him out for me." He said to Techno.

Techno looked back at Tubbo, who's tears hadn't stopped and whose eyes had widened even more. Tubbo attempted to shake his head. "For dinner?" Techno joked, his voice wavering.

Schlatt smiled kindly and laughed. "Oh yeah, give him a nice five course meal. No Techno, I need you to take him out. Not out to dinner. You're going to kill him. Kill him right now." He demanded.

Techno froze. He couldn't move. This had never happened to him before. He had always been the calm one. He had always known what to do. He had always been the one who never got scared. That all changed in a heartbeat, and his breaths quickened by the sudden alteration.

Schlatt began to yell. He didn't even need the microphone to be heard by everyone. The absolute fury in his face and his voice was terrifying. "Right now! On this stage! And make it hurt!"

Fundy called out from the audience, "Schlatt, it's a festival, man!" There were murmurs and yells of agreement. Manberg had looked forward to this festival for weeks. Everyone had been so excited. They finally got to have some fun, after the long war. Tubbo had set up most of it. He had organized it, spent hours decorating, cleaned up the kingdom. He had practically created the festival. But now everyone was aware that it was just a cruel joke from Schlatt the entire time. He never planned on having a festival. No, his plan was just to watch Tubbo plan his own execution.

Niki began to sob. "Techno, don't do this! You have a say in this. Don't listen to him!" She screamed, her voice cracking.

Techno was still frozen. He turned back to his friends below, and then to Wilbur and Tommy on the roof. Wilbur's que to press the button had long passed, but he couldn't leave. It was like a car wreck. He couldn't look away, so matter how much he wanted to see the place explode.

Schlatt held the microphone to his mouth. "I can't have traitors in my own country! Are you kidding me? My own right hand man!" Then, he took the device from his mouth and looked at Tubbo. He finally dropped the angry facade, and gave way to a half-moon smile. His reaction made it seem like he was playing a board game. He was winning, and proud. The next words he said were for Tubbo, and Tubbo alone. Words he wanted him to hear before he died a cold death. "I'd rather rule alone than with you."

Quackity took a step towards Schlatt. His humor and enjoyment of the situation had disappeared. "Are you sure? We have him trapped. He's jailed. I think that's enough for breaking the rules." He stuttered. He had been all for the idea in the beginning. Seeing Tubbos face now was making him regret his decision.

Schlatt ignored Quackity, and stared at the frozen man. "Technoblade, can you do it?"

Techno stood still. His head swarmed with a million different thoughts, yet his mind was blank. The feeling of a million eyes on him was torture. He needed to get out of here before he went insane. He heard whispers from the audience, whispers of how weak he was. Of how he should receive this fate next. Of bad things and cruel words. He couldn't tell if they were real or hif his mind was making them up, but either way it still scared him. The whispers grew in his head, and the eyes stared lasers. He would do anything to make it stop. To get back to feeling what he knew. Feeling calm. "Tubbo, I'm sorry. I'll make this as painless as possible." Techno said. When his hands didn't budge, Schlatt grabbed the crossbow from him impatiently, loaded it, and shoved it back in his hands. Techno slowly aimed it at Tubbo's chest, determined not to let anyone see his nervous expression. Tubbo wasn't moving at all. It would hurt less if he stayed still. That's all he wanted. If he was going to die, he didn't want it to be long. He just wanted to get it over with.

Someone screamed for him to stop. He couldn't tell who. It might've been Niki, who was being held by Fundy in an attempt to comfort her. It might've been Eret, who was staring at the stage with a blank face but teary eyes. It might've been Wilbur, who held his finger over the button but was suddenly too frightened to press it. Or it could've been Tommy, who was sprinting towards the stage with tears and choked cries. But it was too late. Techno released the arrow. The point flew right into Tubbo's chest, and disappeared deep inside. The warrior had come through with his perfect aim, and the arrow impaled his heart almost instantly. Although Schlatt was displeased at how quickly the job was done, he turned to the audience and grinned, as if he had finished a large dance number. Tubbo gasped, then his bright eyes went blank and he collapsed against the side of the cage. There wasn't enough room for him to fall to the floor. The blood soaked his nice suit, leaving a permanent stain that wouldn't ever come out. In the moments that Tubbo died, Techno slowed more emotion than he ever had before. His eyes were full of regret. His mouth was open. He even might've teared up. However, the job was done. The overwhelming feeling of all eyes on him was gone. Whatever emotions he felt disappeared. He simply handed the crossbow back to Schlatt without looking up at him, and walked down back into the audience.

Quackity was beyond shocked. His face gave it away. He looked at Schlatt with disgust, trying to convince himself that it was the president who did the plan all alone. He was wrong, but Quackity couldn't stand to believe that he had played a part in what he had just witnessed.

Tommy ran up to the cage and tried to lift it up, but crumpled to the ground after he couldn't get it to budge. He stood back up, and frantically tried to step inside of the cage to be with his friend. He continued screaming his friends name, hoping for a reply. Quackity pressed the button again, and the rope recoiled itself, taking the metal prison with it. Tubbo fell to the floor, and Tommy ran over to hold him. He screamed at Schlatt, at Quackity, and at Technoblade. His words were incomprehensible, a combination of cusses and sobs. He looked down at Tubbo's open eyes. He couldn't bear to close them. He couldn't let this be the last time he looked his best friend in the eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Partially an AU. I know Wilbur did go off and try to find the button. I just kept him here so the attention wouldn't shift away from Tubbo.


	3. Tommy Returns to L'Manberg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy returns to L'Manberg, and Dream decides to make everything worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Gore, Death

The walls surrounding L'Manberg were just as tall as they had been when Tommy was exiled. They were made of dark stone. It ran along the entire border, except there was a rope ladder hanging over the side of it where Tommy was. Dream was already halfway up it, expecting him to follow. Oh yeah, he had been invited back into L'Manberg, after two months of exile.

Tommy had been spending the day building a house with Ghostbur. Ghostbur hadn't done much to help, but he kept Tommy company. The house was for Dream. He visited so often, he ought to have a house, right? Ghostbur already had a house, though he never used it. He was always with Tommy. The house was small, made of oak, and right by a lake. Tommy could picture Dream sitting by the lake, a fishing rod in hand. Dream always seemed to criticize Tommy. Wouldn't he be impressed when he saw Tommy had made the house for him? But when Dream had arrived that day, Tommy wasn't even able to show him the house before Dream had pulled out a formal looking paper. He didn't give it to Tommy, only told him that Tubbo wanted him back in L'Manberg.

"Did he say he's sorry?" Tommy had asked.

Dream had glanced back down at the invitation. "I don't think so. Sorry, Tommy. Anyways, it says that you need to return today, or else this'll expire and you won't be allowed back in ever again."

Tommy hadn't questioned it. Instead, he packed up to go with Dream. He didn't have much to take. He had some clothes that he had made from leather and wool. He had some food, but he could leave that. He didn't really have anything sentimental. A few weeks ago, Dream had convinced him to get rid of the compass. He had said that it was wrong of him to not let Tommy get rid of it a long time ago, and had watched as Tommy smashed it.

With the clothes in his pack, he walked towards L'Manberg with Dream and Ghostbur, leaving his home behind. Now they were there. Dream was already at the top of the wall, looking down at Tommy and waiting for him to go up.

Tommy first looked at Ghostbur. "You go first." He said. Ghostbur nodded cheerfully, clearly not noticed how nervous Tommy was. Dream had said that most of the people there had already forgotten about him, but what about the land itself? Did it look the same? Or was it all different?

It looked exactly the same. It hadn't changed at all. Now, it didn't even look like Wilbur had exploded the place. The buildings had been kept up, the plants were trimmed, and place was full of people. None of them even noticed the three on the wall. Tommy frowned. They had all forgotten him. Dream was telling the truth.

Dream head turned towards Tommy. He still wore his mask, as always. "Are you ready?" He asked. Tommy nodded, not saying a word as he stared out at the land. The su was in his eyes, but he was still trying to look for someone he knew amidst the crowd. "Is Ghostbur ready to go?" Dream wondered. Ghostbur excitedly said, "Of course." Tommy repeated it to Dream.

Oddly, out of nowhere, Dream had begun to agree with Tommy that Ghostbur existed. It had been about a month ago. Tommy was talking to Ghostbur, and his friend said something funny. Tommy had laughed so hard that he had fallen over, clutching his stomach. Dream had walked into the room. He asked what Ghostbur had said that was so funny. Tommy said what was so funny, and Dream had actually started to laugh. "Ghostbur is actually pretty funny. I wish I could see him." He said. Tommy had stopped laughing and stood up. Dream always treated Ghostbur like some imaginary friend, but now was treating him like an actual person? Tommy asked Dream about it, and Dream had scoffed. "An imaginary friend? Come on now, I've known Ghostbur was real this entire time. Why would I think he's imaginary?" Then, he and Tommy had chuckled together. Tommy didn't question it again. Dream was right. Tommy was just mistaken.

Dream grabbed the rope ladder and pulled it all up to the top of the wall. He flung it down over the other side. Again, Dream went first, Ghostbur second, and Tommy third. When Tommy's feet hit the L'Manberg ground, his fear went away. He had no reason to be worried. All he was here to do was see Tubbo. Then, he could get a house as far away from everyone else as possible. It would all work out in the end.

Tubbo, or President Tubbo, whatever he was called, was waiting in his house. Apparently he had insisted on meeting with Tommy someplace more personal than an office. Tommy was his friend, after all. When Dream had told Tommy that Tubbo dared to say that, Tommy had rolled his eyes. The nerve of that boy. Tubbo had exiled Tommy, destroyed his own compass, and cut all contact with Tommy until now. They weren't friends at all anymore.

The house he was in was made of bright quartz. The walls and roof gleamed. The doors were white painted wood to match the stone. It was a house fit for a president. It wasn't at all fit for Tommy. He had gotten used to living in poorly constructed shacks, and preferred them to this masterpiece. They felt cozier. This felt like a cold trap.

As Tommy was about to walk inside of the house, he froze. His mind went blank. He couldn't get himself to move, but didn't know why. He had no reason to be frightened. "Come on Tommy." Dream nudged him inside. "Don't get scared now."

"I'm not scared." Tommy muttered. He forced himself to walk inside.

Ghostbur spun around, looking at the house. His eyes widened when he saw a portrait of himself hanging in the hall. "Is that me? I look so... gloomy." He stood next to the painting. He stood slightly sideways, and looked straight at Tommy. He looked so serious. That's when Tommy realized that Ghostbur was mimicking Wilbur's pose in the portrait. He started to laugh wildly. Dream laughed along with him at Ghostbur, even though he had no idea what was so funny.

Some house this was. It may as well have been an office. Portraits and paintings covered the walls like wallpaper. The carpet was navy blue, and the furniture was made of velvet. The dining room table was made of oak, like Dream's house had been in Logsted, only this wood was polished. The table legs were carved into beautiful designs. If this was his house, what did his office look like, anyways?

Tubbo was seated in a red velvet chair out in the back of the house. He hadn't changed, either. His hair had grown out slightly. He wore a smile on his face that grew even bigger once he saw Tommy. "Tommy! You came!" He exclaimed.

"Not really like I had a choice." Tommy said plainly.

Tubbo's face fell. "Well then. Why don't you take a seat here?" He gestured to a similar looking chair. Tommy sat down in it, while Dream and Ghostbur stood off to the side. Tommy noticed that four bodyguards dressed in full netherite were all standing nearby. Tommy recognized all of them as Quackity, Fundy, Nihachu, and Karl. Nihachu was the only one to flash a smile, but Tommy didn't care. It's not like she had been any help when he was exiled. Why should he return the gesture?

Tubbo sat up straight. "So, tell me everything!"

Tommy glared at him. "You aren't even going to apologize?"

Tubbo furrowed his eyebrows. He appeared to be confused. "I did apologize."

Tommy jumped up, fists clenched. "Stop lying, you little bitch. You didn't, or I would've heard it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you didn't see it. I'm sorry, then. I truly am. Exiling you was a bad decision. I don't even remember why I chose to do it in the first place. It was an awful move, and I apologize." Tubbo looked down in shame.

Tommy sat back in his seat. His fists were still clenched. "Well, now what? It just seems like you've brought me here to make a fool of myself. Is that it?"

Tubbo shook his head and hands frantically. "No, no, that's not it at all! I just wanted to, I don't know, welcome you home I guess."

Tommy squinted. "You guess? What's that supposed to mean?"

Ghostbur, who was standing off to the side, commented. "I suppose he's just as nervous as you."

"Shut up! I'm not scared." Tommy snapped at Ghostbur.

Tubbo flinched. "I didn't say anything." He said with a nervous laugh.

Tommy huffed. "No, Ghostbur did, you idiot."

Tubbo was puzzled. "Ghostbur?"

"Yeah, Wilbur's ghost." Dream said as if it was obvious.

Tubbo couldn't help but laugh. He stopped when he saw both Tommy and Dream giving him furious glares. He looked over at Dream. "What are you doing? Is this some sort of game?" He asked. It was like he'd forgotten Dream was there.

Tommy stood up again. "What, do you think this is funny? Are you trying to make fun of my only friend, is that it? You've stooped that low?"

Tubbo stayed seated. He looked up at Tommy, who now towered above him. "Tommy, are you okay?"

"What? Of course I'm okay!"

Tubbo began to talk to Dream again like Tommy wasn't there. "What's going on? Does he have an imaginary friend that I don't know about or something?"

Dream let out a snort of disgust. "You're the one who doesn't seem okay. Why wouldn't Ghostbur be real?"

"I'm right here." Ghostbur called out. He was currently running in circles on the back lawn, trying to get himself dizzy.

Tommy stepped towards Tubbo. "He is real! What the hell are you implying?" He shouted.

Tubbo glanced to the side for a second in shock. "Oh, being in exile has not been good for you. You've gone crazy."

Tommy clenched his teeth and pressed his lips together firmly. Instead of replying, he pulled something from an open pouch on his belt and ran towards Tubbo with it. It was a dagger he always carried on him. It was covered in dried pig blood, because Tommy had forgotten to wash it off after killing a pig yesterday. The blade swiped right over Tubbo's throat. Tommy knew exactly how to kill someone. He had planned it ever since he had been exiled, and this was the last straw.

How dare Tubbo pretend to be his friend. How dare Tubbo pretend that Ghostbur wasn't real. How dare Tubbo claim to have apologized when he never did. How dare Tubbo destroy his compass. How dare Tubbo exile Tommy. How dare Tubbo become the President instead of Tommy, who actually deserved it. How dare Tubbo say that Tommy's gone crazy. How dare Tubbo leave Tommy with only Dream and Ghostbur for company. How dare he.

Dream was still standing off to the side, a grin on his face. As soon as Tubbo began to gasp for air, the grin disappeared and he hurried over to the President. He had to hide his glee. Instead, he grabbed Tommy by the shoulders. "What have you done?" He demanded.

Tommy tossed the blade next to Tubbo, who was convulsing on the ground. "I did what I had to do." His face was blank. He showed no remorse. The four guards were right by Tubbo. They knew they couldn't save Tubbo. Three of the guards tackled Tommy. Only Quackity stayed with Tubbo, holding his hand and talking to him calmly.

Tommy was pushed onto the ground, where he was handcuffed. The guards took the rest of his weapons, which consisted of two other knives, a sword and some spare arrows. As he was lead away, Dream followed at his side.

Tommy kept his gaze on the ground. It was unexpected when he opened his mouth to speak. "Will Ghostbur be all right?"

Dream smiled politely. He lifted his mask for just a few seconds to look at Tommy clearly. Tommy had seen his face before, so he wasn't surprised. He was surprised at Dream's next words. "Tommy, Ghostbur isn't real. He never was. Tubbo was right. You have gone mad. You just didn't realize it." He winked at Tommy, then set his mask back over the top half of his face and walked back towards Tubbo's body.

Tommy yanked on his handcuffs furiously. The guards had to drag him the rest of the way to the prison, since he refused to walk. He was screaming and sobbing and shrieking cusses and curses. "You're a liar! You little bitch! You're such a liar!" He shouted. He continued at it, until his insults faded into sad sobs. Ghostbur was real. He was. If he wasn't, then Tommy really was crazy.

Tommy wasn't crazy. Was he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't really sure how to do Tommy's character, since he was just insane and I don't write about that often.


	4. Dream SMP headcanon ages and timeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ages of the Dream SMP characters, and the timeline of events.

As the title says, here are my headcanon ages of the characters and my imagined timeline.

At the beginning, at the time that L'Manberg declared independence, these are the ages of the main characters that I could think of.

Ranboo- 12. He seems very helpful, which led me to think he's younger. I don't feel like his character is as mature or courageous as Tommy or Tubbo, but he acts similarly, which is why I made him younger.

Tubbo- 15. He seems innocent and kind, meaning younger, and it's also talked about how young he is multiple times. However, he has to be old enough to be president when the time comes, so he can't be 16 or 17 forever. When he becomes president, he'd be around 28, which seems like a reasonable age.

Tommy- 15. He's courageous, but very outspoken and daring to a point where it harms him, so he's definitely younger. I imagine him to be the same age as Tubbo, which is why they were willing to fight at such a young age with each other.

Fundy- 17. There's not much for this one except that I'd picture him to be a bit older than Tommy and Tubbo, but not much.

Callahan- 19. Again, not much for this. I included him because my sister wanted me to, and he's just a peacemaker and a quieter person.

Eret- 20. Old enough that he'd be able to rule without it being really odd, but young enough that Tubbo, Fundy, and Tommy would befriend and trust him. He's very wise for his age, I imagine.

Quackity- 25. Similarly to Tommy, he's very daring but sometimes in not a good way. He can also be serious, and was a vice president, so he'd have to be older.

Sapnap- 29. He definitely is the one who's the most immature in the Dream Team, so he's the youngest. I didn't want to make him super young, because he doesn't act like Tommy or Tubbo much, and it just wouldn't make sense. Also, he's friends with the Dream Team who I made older, so I thought this was a fair age.

Karl- 29. Same age as Sapnap.

Niki- 32. She just gives off calm motherly vibes, but I couldn't make her so old that it might be odd, and she needed to be young enough to show lots of emotions.

George- 34. A little younger than Dream and Schlatt, but older than Quackity. He's very calm, but he just seems younger.

Wilbur- 36 (had Fundy at 19). Not much for why I made him 36 except that it seemed fitting. Older than Niki and Tommy, younger than Schlatt and Dream. He had Fundy so young because it just seems to fit his character, and I didn't want Fundy to be too young or Wilbur to be too old. Also, I really enjoy the idea that Wilbur had Fundy really young but was a great dad, while Schlatt had Tubbo older and couldn't be a very great parent. It fits their characters a lot.

Technoblade- 36. Same age as Wilbur.

Schlatt- 38 (had Tubbo at 23). Older than Wilbur, but not by much. He died at 51, which seems pretty reasonable for the way he did. They needed to be close in age because they have so many character parallels that it just made sense.

Dream- 40. He would have to be old enough to rule a whole country, but young enough to go to war when slightly provoked. He's not very wise, but is at the same time, if that makes sense, so he'd be on the younger side.

Skeppy- 47. Younger than BBH.

BBH- 51. This one was easy. He needed to be able to have his own land, but I already knew he'd be one of the oldest. He's very kind and against violence. He's also wise and likely wouldn't go to war unless it was absolutely necessary, so he'd absolutely be a lot older.

Philza- 62 (had Wilbur and Techno at 26, Tommy at 47). Again, easy. Very calm, so older, and he'd have kids older than most in the universe of the Dream SMP. Which, by the way, I had everyone have kids younger because I was thinking more medieval for that.

The events that have gone on so far have taken approximately seventeen years, meaning that the ages of the characters would change drastically. These are the ages during the current events.

Ranboo- 29

Tubbo- 32

Tommy- 32

Fundy- 34

Callahan- 36

Eret- 37

Quackity- 42

Sapnap- 46

Karl- 46

Niki- 49

George- 51

Wilbur- 53 (died at 49)

Technoblade- 53

Schlatt- 55 (died at 51)

Dream- 57

Skeppy- 64

BBH- 68

Philza- 79 (HES SO OLD NOW HAHA)

Here are my ideas for the timeline, since you're probably wondering how the events so far have taken up SEVENTEEN years.

In between L'Manberg declaring indepence and them gaining it- Two years. Wilbur and the soldiers fight for independence for two years until they earn it.

In between L'Manberg gaining independence and the election announcement- Six years six months. Wilbur rules over L'Manberg for six and a half years, until he gets some complaints. He announces the election, which will last for six months.

In between the election announcement and the election results announcement- Six months. Wilbur still ruled L'Manberg during this time. After the six months are just about up, the votes are counted. Schlatt becomes the new ruler, and chases Wilbur and Tommy out the same day.

In between the election results announcement and the festival announcement- Three years. Wilbur and Tommy form Pogtopia, and remain there for about two years. On the exact day three years after Schlatt became president, he announces the festival to celebrate it.

In between the festival announcement and the festival- Six months. Tubbo helps to prepare the festival for six months, until the day arrives of it. The massacre happens. The tensions rise for about a year, with many L'Manberg citizens rebelling.

In between the festival and the Manberg VS Pogtopia war- One year. About a year after the festival, the Pogtopia people attack. The war lasts a week, and Schlatt is killed at the end.

In between Manberg VS Pogtopia war and Tommy's exile- One year. After the one-week Pogtopia VS L'Manberg war, Tubbo becomes president and rules for a year before hearing about Tommy's crimes and exiling him.

In between Tommy's exile and moving in with Techno- Two years six months. Tommy is exiled for a year and a half with him, Ghostbur, and Dream manipulating him. At the end of this, he is invited to move in with Techno.

In between Tommy moving in with Techno and Tubbo visiting him- A week. Tubbo is only a week late in visiting Tommy. He's been president for around three and a half years when he discovers that Tommy has "died."

Wilbur reigned for 9 years

Schlatt reigned for 4 years 6 months

Tubbo reigned for 3 years 6 months

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this a while back, so I haven't updated it with current events. The events going on now are really confusing, so the timeline would be difficult as well.


	5. Wilbur's Arrest (Medieval AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A medieval, more realistic take on the beginning of the Dream SMP War.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death, mention of violence, hanging, mention of torture

Wilbur sat on the front of the large cart. His hands were on the reins, and he was steering the two horses and making sure they kept at a steady pace. In order to reach the Nomel Kingdom by sundown, they couldn't slow down. Inside of the cart were Fundy and Tommy, who were making sure the chests and barrels full of food stayed safe. The group had only been traveling for about half an hour. Suddenly, Wilbur heard a sound from behind the cart. He stood up from his seat and looked back. He gasped and hissed at Tommy and Fundy to get out of the cart. They did without hesitation, and Fundy pulled Tommy behind the cart so that they couldn't be seen. Wilbur halted the horses and sat down slowly. Tommy stayed crouched with Fundy. He began to hear it as well. The thud of horse hooves that seemed to rattle the deep earth. The sound had gone from a normal one to one that made hearts drop. No one rode horses in groups that made such noise except the SMP guards.

The three held their breaths nervously. It wasn't long before Wilbur saw the dust down the trail. In the center of it were three horses, all cantering towards the cart. They slowed right in front of it. The three guards, knights, royally appointed evildoers, whatever you would call them, were the same ones who always patrolled the SMP village. They used to arrest daily, until people got too scared to break the laws. They didn't care if the people were starving or dying, which they often were, but if one villager crossed a line, they had a guaranteed noose around their neck. Wilbur tried to keep his breathing calm. It wasn't easy. He knew why they were here.

George was the head of the guards. He wore the usual armor, just like every other one. However, he didn't need to wear a helmet. None of them did, since no villagers ever attempted to attack. He had short brown hair and a stern look, like every other guard as well. His horse had a black coat with white patches on either side.

Sapnap and Punz were the other two main guards. They had a lot of joy in patrolling. Being able to be richer and greater than everyone else was amusing to them. Sapnap had dark hair that was longer, and it fell almost to his shoulders. He had tried to tie it back before with a white strip of cloth, but every time his chestnut horse began to gallop, he lost it. Punz had blond, unkempt hair. A Knights Seal necklace was around his neck. He wore it proudly, for it had been given to him by the king. Another way to show how high he was in the kingdom. His horse was amber colored, and had a small spot on its forehead.

George looked down at Wilbur. He was wiser and calmer than the other two, but had no problem in killing or torturing. He had an accent from living in another kingdom when he was younger.

Ten years ago, there had been two separate kingdoms ruled by two kings. The people of the one kingdom, SpesMea, had different accents than the other, Perfedia, which explained why George and others spoke differently. The king of one kingdom had died, leaving behind his eldest daughter. The daughter had married the king from the other kingdom, and by a great deal, the two kingdoms were combined into the SMP. The king had two children, an older son and a younger daughter, who were from his previous marriage. The king and queen died soon after from illness, and the older son became the king of the great and populous SMP.

The older son, King Dream, was a cruel leader, similar to his father. He was even more brutal, however. His laws were strict and unreasonable. The most recent one, which had been established a year ago, was silly and stupid. Summarized, it was that only appointed farmers and bakers could make food. Only appointed merchants could sell food. The king seemed to want his people to starve, with forty bakers and farmers and twelve people giving out food to the hundreds of villagers. He also had previous rules making it nearly impossible to get a well paying job. Wilbur, like every other villager, was low on money. However, unlike every other villager, he decided to do something about it. His son, Fundy, had two friends who were each a popular baker and farmer. For a few weeks, they had supplied Wilbur with leftover food. He had stocked his cart secretly with hopes of selling it in the nearby kingdom, which offered great prices for bread and fresh fruit. Tommy was Wilbur's younger brother. The two had lost their mother to starvation, and their father was still grieving. They needed the money. Fundy was Wilbur's young son who also had no mother. They weren't the only ones suffering greatly from King Dream's rules.

"Wilbur, is that your name?" George asked. At least he asked for one. The other two had killed Wilbur's wife without even learning hers. It was Sally. They never knew nor cared.

He cleared his throat. "Yes, sir."

George nodded curtly. "A former resident of SpesMea, I see. It's most unfortunate to see you living such a felonious life."

Tommy and Fundy were still pressed against the back of the cart. Tommy was trying to process what was happening. Fundy was trying to figure out a way for them to get from the back of the cart into the safety of the woods without being seen. They heard Wilbur ask what the problem was. Politely, of course, or else he'd be beheaded.

George straightened his shoulders to look more regal. He eyed the cart. "I have reason to believe that you have food in that cart. You aren't authorized to be selling those goods in the SMP."

"You don't know that." Wilbur said. Tommy held in a gasp. Saying something so daring was guaranteeing a worse sentence. Unless, of course, Wilbur already knew his punishment was death.

George faintly smiled, and dismounted from his horse. Wilbur now looked down at him from his taller seat of the cart. "Actually, I do know that. There are only twelve licensed food distributors in the SMP. You, Wilbur, are not on that list." Wilbur was now having a hard time not panicking. "And, if you have no food in that cart of yours," George continued, "you'll still be arrested. You're far beyond the borders of the SMP, which, may I remind you, is also illegal. If your cart is empty, you will be granted a far lighter sentence. Ten or fifteen years, I suppose." George walked to the side of the cart and poked the cloth with an armored finger. "Now, may I have a look inside?"

Tommy and Fundy were both shaking at the back of the cart. The nearest trees were close, but the risk of Sapnap and Punz spotting them was too great. They couldn't risk it.

Wilbur smiled tightly and held his hand towards the opening of the cart. Perhaps his honesty would help him in the slightest. George stepped up, ducked, and walked inside. He couldn't help but chuckle. Every wall was covered by barrels of food, some overflowing onto the floor. There was a single half eaten loaf of bread on the floor, which Wilbur claimed was his. It was Tommy's.

After peering around the cart for over five minutes and discovering a new stash everywhere he looked, the guard captain had seen enough. He kept an eye on Wilbur while he fished something from the bag on his horse. It was a thick rope. At least he wasn't being arrested by a sword to the neck, or being taken care of by one through the stomach. Wilbur complied without even hesitating. He left the cart and walked over to George, who swiftly tied the rope around both of his wrists. They were bound tightly behind his back, and a second rope was tied to it. George tied the long rope to his saddle. It was like a leash, which would make sure the prisoner couldn't run away. He would be forced to walk the whole way back to the SMP.

George instructed Sapnap to let the cart horse go. It was an expensive one. The only one Wilbur had ever owned. Once the reins were gone, it simply walked over to the trees and began to nibble on the grass. Sapnap hitched his own strong horse to the cart. It was perfect evidence for the king, who would have a great time deciding how long Wilbur should suffer before he died. Once Sapnap remounted his horse, the four began slowly back down the trail. The horses were forced to walk at a slow pace. They couldn't drag Wilbur back.

Tommy and Fundy had managed to escape to behind two separate trees when the guards had been focused on tying up Wilbur. The horse was only a few feet from them, and they were terrified that it might try to go over to them. It didn't, and once Wilbur and the rest were gone, they cautiously came out from their hiding places. The horse didn't look up from its meal. Tommy was trying hard not to cry. Fundy was trying as well. He was older, and had to be strong for Tommy.

They had to accept the facts. The first being that they were stranded in the wilderness, miles away from their home in which they weren't welcome in. If anyone saw them walk past the front gates, they would be in prison instantly. The second being that they had no food, water, supplies, or clothing. The food was in the cart, along with the water, clothing, and supplies. Tommy and Fundy were already stick thin from the lack of food. They wouldn't survive long without it. The third being that Wilbur was absolutely a goner. There was no doubt that Wilbur would be put to death, just like his wife had been. She had been captured after the food law for trying to escape to the Nomel Kingdom as well. Wilbur hadn't known she was going to leave, and had been heartbroken. He was even more when Sally was sentenced to a public hanging. She wouldn't even look him in the eyes as she was led to the platform. She only did once the rope was placed around her neck. Her brown eyes, matching Wilbur's, had been full of tears and fear. He watched as she died. Fundy had hidden and refused to watch, but Tommy did. Now, every time he saw Fundy, he saw Sally, too. They looked so similar, with their red hair and heavily freckled faces. He regretted choosing to watch the young woman die every day.

Wilbur, breaking two laws, both being major ones, would be killed. Tortured, probably. Beheaded, no. That hadn't happened since the days of SpesMea and Perfedia. He wouldn't be put on trial. That never happened. He would be killed tomorrow, most likely. The guards liked the cells to be empty, so every morning there were up to twenty executions at eight sharp. Except for children, the viewings were mandatory. King Dream liked his citizens to fear him.

Tommy leaned against a tree and wiped his eyes. Fundy approached the horse and petted it gently while pondering a plan. Wilbur couldn't be killed. His mother had died. He couldn't lose his father, too. Tommy couldn't lose his brother, either. He had another one, Tubbo, who was on the verge of starving. He couldn't lose both Wilbur and Tubbo. They might not be able to save Tubbo, and they couldn't save Sally, but they could save Wilbur. They would save him. They had no choice. He had protected them, knowing it would only cause him future pain and suffering. They were his brother and son. He was their brother and father. They had to protect him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My image of Sally is literally so simple and lowkey boring. As I said, she's a redhead with brown eyes and lots of freckles, like Fundy. Her dress would be a very boring teal, with some white in it. Oh, and her hair is wavy and she likes the ocean a lot. She never got to see it, but the Nomel Kingdom was right by it. Her mother and father were from there and she heard stories about it. In this AU, I've gone with Tommy and Tubbo being adopted siblings instead of cousins or best friends.


	6. Tubbo Visits Tommy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo thinks Tommy died in exile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implications of suicide

Walking down the stone path across the Nether was Tubbo. The green arrows on the ground pointed him in the direction of the portal where he was headed. The air smelled smoky and cast a grayish tint over the world. Below him was a lava pool, bubbling and glowing for miles. He wasn’t walking at a fast pace, more of a casual walk. He was excited to see Tommy. Slightly nervous, but excited. Although guilt weighed on him so heavily that when he saw his friend again, he felt like he might cry. Tommy would do as he usually did- shout cusses at anyone that would listen. He did it playfully, but when he was serious, he was scary. He had never been too mad at Tubbo. When Tommy was exiled, he hardly yelled at all. He was too surprised to react. Tommy had been exiled for a while now. Surely he had thought of a few things to say to Tubbo. None of them would be nice.

It didn’t matter. He would get to see his friend again. His best friend in the entire world, whom he had cried over every night. Since the day Tommy was exiled and even before then, his brain had been conflicted. The angel and devil on his shoulder each demanded different things. One said to let Tommy back in to L’Manberg. It insisted that Tommy should’ve never been let out. He did things like what he did to George’s house all the time. Why was it any different now? Tommy was Tubbo’s best friend, and Tubbo was horrible for choosing to get rid of him. The other, however, said that Tubbo was right to exile Tommy. The boy had done similar crimes in the past, but not under Tubbo’s rule. How was he to be a good President if he favored his friends and let them get away with anything? Tommy was a kind person, but kind people could still do bad things. It doesn’t mean they’re any less guilty.

  
Tubbo didn’t know which was the angel and which was the devil.

  
After walking up some sloppily built stairs, the portal was in front of him. He didn’t use Nether portals very often anymore. He had never liked them much anyways. The way they made his whole body go cold when he stepped through it wasn’t a good feeling. All that was in the Nether nowadays were mobs. The SMP had raided it of all its good materials for miles around. If he wanted to go and get beaten up by Piglins, it was the perfect place. It was useless otherwise.

  
Stepping through the portal, he closed his eyes lightly and braced himself. He had gone from the Nether back into the SMP once and had been greeted by pouring rain. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. The feeling he so disliked washed over his body like a wave. It was gone in seconds, and he opened his eyes. It was raining. Not the harsh downpour type, just the type where it was barely there. The mist-type droplets fell onto his skin and navy suit. If the sky had been light, it would’ve been grey. It was nighttime. In front of him was a nicely placed wooden path. Tommy probably built it with all the spare time he had. He could tell that it had been raining for a while from the small puddles on it. Tubbo was aware that his forehead and palms had become clammy. He wiped his hands on his pants legs, and his forehead with his sleeve. The rain soothed his uneven breathing. On either side of the path were torches, each one carefully placed. It was almost like Tommy had been expecting someone. Did Tommy know Tubbo was visiting? He couldn’t. There was no way, right? It might’ve been better if he knew, because then Tubbo wouldn’t be so nervous for his reaction.

  
A few feet down the path, there was a Nether portal. It took Tubbo a second to realize that it wasn’t a completed one. There was a hole in the side, meaning it couldn’t work. There was no purple glow, either. Why was there an incomplete Nether portal so close to the useable one? Why was it broken? Tubbo couldn’t think of an answer. He would have to wait to ask Tommy, though he might have to wait a while. Tommy might just refuse to talk to him. Eventually, he would give up on the silent treatment. They were best friends. They never stayed mad at each other for long.

  
Continuing on, Tubbo slowed his pace. He was used to being nervous. Since he was President, he felt butterflies in his stomach on a daily basis. They never got any easier to handle. Sometimes, he would have to splash cold water on his face to force himself to do what was making him so scared. There was no cold water here except falling from the sky. He tilted his head back for a few seconds and let the drops fall. The rain had picked up slightly. It felt less like mist now. With every cold prick on his skin, he took a deep breath. Eventually, the irregular breaths became even again. His shoes had to slightly balance while he walked. The type of wood that the trail was made of got slippery easily.

  
He didn’t notice the gaping hole in the ground until he almost fell in it. His foot stepped off of the path, expecting to land on solid land. When he didn’t, he had to swing himself backwards. He landed hard on the wood, feeling the water soak through the back of his suit onto his skin. He laid down for a second, staring up at the sky and trying to catch the breath that had been knocked from him. When he pushed himself back onto his legs, he saw that the path stopped. The torches light only continued behind him. He knew that there was a missing patch of earth. He just couldn’t figure out what lay in front of him. Why was there no ground? Without thinking, he grabbed a torch that bordered the path. He always thought before he acted. He didn’t realize how scared he had become until he acted on an idea that had come a split second before.

  
The torch was held above the ground in front of him. Or, as he soon realized, the lack thereof. Below him was a pit, if you could even call it that. It was nearly his height, and was the size of a small house. Loose dirt covered the bottom like a carpet. Bits of blown up stone and wood lay on the ground next to the hole, and on the bottom as well. On the sides, there were some wood pillars that looked like old parts of a house. There were bits of walls that were half gone and were on the verge of collapsing. The torch fell from his hand and into a puddle at the bottom of the trench with a hiss. His head couldn’t process what he saw. He did something next that he should’ve never done. He ran.

  
Worries about slipping on the path didn’t even bother him, though he did a few times. He scrambled down the path back towards the Nether portal, desperate for an answer. At one point, he stumbled and fell off into the grass. His forehead landed in a puddle of muddy water, making the top of his head coated in a thin layer of liquid soil. He tried to wipe it off with his suit sleeve. He only managed to smear it on his clothes and hair more.

  
The path went on in either way past the portal. In the distance, there was a Christmas tree decorated with glowing lights. It seemed more gloomy than happy against the rain and dark sky. He sprinted down to the festive decoration. He didn’t even smile at the sight of it up close. The path ended at the tree. No, where was Tommy? The path couldn’t end. Where was Tommy’s tent, the one he had been staying in originally? Tubbo ran back and forth between the colorful tree and the end of the path multiple times before he even realized what he was doing. What was he thinking? The wooden trail wasn’t going to magically expand.  
There was a shadow on the other side of the path. It wasn’t a person. It was a building, or an object. Whatever it was wasn’t very close to the border. Tubbo ran down towards it, accidentally soaking his expensive shoes in even more water. He didn’t have any light, but he could make out what it was by grabbing it. It was cloth. The cloth was slick and water was collected in more pools on it. It was the same material Tommy’s tent was made of. No, it was Tommy’s tent that had collapsed onto the ground. There was only ground beneath it. None of the belongings from it were there anymore. Even Tommy’s bed had disappeared. The fabric was lying on the grass like a useless tarp.

  
Instead of pausing to think, Tubbo ran again. The path felt like it was made of ice. He was sliding around in his black Oxfords all over it. He looked like a cartoon character, running around frantically. His only idea was to go back to the big trench. Go back to what he had seen first so he could attempt to process it. He ended up running past it, looking for Tommy. He needed to find something. Tubbo ended up sprinting right into a big pole or post of some sort. The front of his body collided with it with a thud. His nose felt the worst of the pain, as he had hit it face first. He didn’t even bother with trying to see if he was bleeding. The mud had dripped down towards his eyes. He was hoping that it wouldn’t run into them. Rubbing it off with his sleeve didn’t work, since both of his were covered in the mud from his hair and from slipping into the dirt countless times.

  
He backed up from whatever he had crashed with. It was a pillar like the ones that had been around the pit. He couldn’t figure out why it was here. Was there a flag atop it? Tubbo grabbed another torch from the same path and returned. He held it up, shielded his eyes with his other hand, and looked towards the top. The light of the fire didn’t light up the column very far vertically. He could see that it stretched high. He didn’t see where it ended. The light did help him to notice a ladder up the back of it. He kept the torch in his hand and tried to climb only using five fingers from the other and his slippery, mud-caked shoes. It was a horrible idea. Tubbo was numbed by the fear growing in his body. Every time his foot slipped off the rung, he just placed it back on and continued. The rain was going on harder and harder. His persistence never faltered once. The torch still remained aglow, though it flickered lots from small spots of water. When Tubbo’s hand reached for another step of the ladder and didn’t feel one, he almost fell off. He had climbed for at least twenty minutes. Was it really that long, or did time seem to stretch? His hand went back to the step it had been on. He was at the top.

  
The torch was set down on the flat peak of the pillar. Tubbo climbed up next to it. It shed light on the puddles across the surface. There was a flat beam leading for a short distance off the edge of the pole. Tubbo cautiously walked across the beam, treating it like a tightrope. He was so far above the world that it was just a blur of colors. When he neared the edge of it, he saw something plastered to the ground. It was a picture that had gotten stuck in between cracks in the surface. The colors had all run together. It had been dropped by someone and, because of the pouring water, now stuck like wallpaper to the surface. The picture was one that Tubbo had seen so many times. He had cried over it, and the tears had fallen onto the glass of the frame it was encased in at his home. It was the picture of Tommy and him. He was in the background, his arms extended in a fun pose. Tommy was squinting at the camera, contrasting Tubbo’s grin.

  
This was Tommy’s copy of the picture. It was on the edge of this thing that he had built. His vision spun as he realized what must’ve happened to his friend. Tubbo collapsed by the end of the beam. He curled up into a fetal position sideways. The surface was long enough that he could without dangling off of the side. The mud in his messy hair stuck to the top of the beam where he lay. His knees were buried into his chest. His torch had been cast to the side, probably dropped off or extinguished by now. His hands were curled around his legs. Both fists held onto the picture. His salty tears mixed with the rain and dripped down his face. He had to keep his eyes shut so that the cold rain wouldn’t drop directly into them. His tears mixed with the dirt and left grimy lines leading down his face from the corners of his eyes. He was supposed to be the President. He was responsible for so many peoples safety and well-being. Imagine if they saw him now. He looked so disappointing, like a little kid. What would they think if they saw their president covered in mud and rain in the middle of the night, bawling and gasping for air while clenching an old photo?

  
He didn’t care what they would say. He couldn’t even make himself sit up. All he could do was stay curled up like a heartbroken child under the stormy sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's very interesting to take Tubbo, the responsible president of the SMP, and put so many emotions in him. It's very interesting to do it with all of the characters since each one reacts differently to the same situations.


	7. One-Shot Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a list of ideas for me to reference.

Some ideas I have just so I don't lose them lol

The Final Control Room  
Dream blows up Logstedshire  
Tommy sleep-walking  
Wilbur’s death  
Tommy VS Dream duel  
Schlatt’s electoral speech  
More of my medieval AU?  
Glatt “waking up”


	8. Wilbur's Sentence (Medieval AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur is sentenced to death. Part 2 of my Medieval AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Hanging, mentions of torture

“Wake up!” A loud pound on the door followed the demand. Wilbur was curled asleep on the floor, hands placed beneath his head to cushion it. At the noise, he sat up quickly. His first thought was of how empty his stomach felt. He felt the pain every morning, so often that it had become a familiar ache. Even when trapped in the royal prison, he still was given no food. “You have ten minutes.” The guard outside the door said. Wilbur didn’t bother to ask “until what.” He had been expecting this. He knew it meant he only had ten more minutes until his death. Heavy footsteps faded off from outside the door, meaning the guard was leaving.

In the short time before he died, Wilbur wanted to think. His thoughts were the only thing that would comfort him now. Last night, after hours of walking, he had been thrown into that cell. Treated with just as much respect as he ever had when he lived in the SMP, which was none. Staying calm had always been his best trait. Once he was alone again, the quietness in his mind disappeared completely. Trying his usual five-senses method didn’t even help. 

Five things he could see: darkness, torches, locked door, stone floor, and… was that a rat in the corner? Four things he could hear: his own heavy breathing, silence, footsteps in the hall outside, and mumbled whispers of guards. Three things he could feel: The freezing air, the damp floor, and his dry throat begging for a drop of water. Two things he could smell: Blood and soil. One thing he could taste: Nothing. The last time he had eaten had been early that morning. It had been a small apple, but he hadn’t even had half of it before giving the other half to his horse. He assumed that he’d be able to feast at the Nomel Kingdom. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Now here he was, ready to die. Well, he’d never be ready. He was only thirty-six. How could he be ready? Was anyone ever when they died? Wilbur slid over from the middle of the room to the wall. He slumped against it, exhaling. How much time had passed? It could’ve been thirty seconds or nine minutes. In his last moments, he was alone. Memories replayed in his mind like an old tape. 

When Tommy was born, Wilbur had been twenty one. He had been ecstatic to have a younger brother. Fundy had marveled over the small child. They were only two years apart, yet looked so different. It was even better when Philza had adopted Tubbo a few months later. Two babies and a toddler running around was chaotic. Sally had taken care of Fundy, Wilbur had taken care of Tommy, and Philza had been in charge of Tubbo. Even then, it was still difficult. At the time, the three had shared a house. It was too expensive to afford a new one. One of the babies would cry, which would wake up Fundy, who in turn would wake up the nearest adult. To get five hours of sleep was lucky.

Then he was reminded of Sally again, so he switched to another memory. This one had been right before the Food Distribution Act by a month or so. It was one of the only happy moments he remembered without Sally. Fundy had carved a flute from wood, and had given it to Tommy. Wilbur had been able to watch as his brother’s eyes lit up. Tommy had never owned any kind of instrument. Wilbur had a harp that had been given to him many years ago. The young blond had wanted a flute ever since he saw a girl playing it in the town square. According to Tommy, she had been playing a jovial tune while her older sister danced gracefully. A few people had even come out of their homes to watch. Tommy figured out how to play it all on his own, though he hadn’t since the Food Distribution Act. Music was rare nowadays. People were occupied with trying to stay alive. No one had time for fun or games. Wilbur wondered what had happened to the girl and her sister.

When Wilbur was twenty-six, the king of the SMP died. It was tragic, yes, but also a great surprise to everyone. He hadn’t been ill for more than a few days. Even his own staff thought he would recover quickly. It was a small cough, they said, something he had recovered from many times and could again. He had just been married a second time seven months before to the former Perfedia princess. Once the SMP king died, the queen did too two days later from what appeared to be the same illness. Though the King hadn’t been very wise with most of his decisions, and had been plain mean with others, everyone would’ve given anything to have him back instead of his son. Dream didn’t waste a day before having his coronation. Once he was king, he planned the funeral. Worrying about his parent’s death wasn’t a top priority, it seemed.

The door swung outward into the hall. Wilbur stood up, keeping his back to the wall. Wonderful. His last thought before death would be of the king he hated so much. George was standing tall, rope in hands. Wilbur approached him and held out his bony wrists. He had nowhere to run. He had no choice but to cooperate. At least he was going to have a quick death. It was odd that he wasn’t going to be tortured. Maybe King Dream had gotten bored with hearing the screams of his own people. Maybe he just liked them to die off quickly, so he could get rid of the rebels and troublemakers. He didn’t like the villagers who disagreed with him to live any longer than they had to, Wilbur supposed, even if they were in pain.

With the rope knotted to keep him secure, George led him from the tiny cell that the prisoner would never miss. Punz and Sapnap were nowhere to be seen. Four guards took their place on either side of Wilbur, guiding him and blocking him from escaping. He saw little glimpses of the world in the cracks between the soldiers. The dark walls of the cell hall giving way to windows. A door opening and closing. More windows. Another door, a bigger one, opened. 

Next, they were outside. The sun was barely risen. He could still feel it on his face, and smiled faintly. There was a breeze too. He couldn’t feel it since it was blocked by the barrier of guards, but he could tell because George’s hair blew back slightly every few seconds. The soft stone under his feet switched to the worn cobblestone of the town square. He was next on stairs. They were weak, wooden, and creaked with every step. There were three. Then, they flattened out into a platform. It was THE platform. 

The guards from around him stopped walking. The four stood off of the gallows on the ground, keeping watch and making sure there was no interference. Punz and Sapnap were waiting on either side by the steps. Wilbur continued with George to the center of the wood. He had seen enough hangings to know what to do next. Wilbur looked down to find the slightly risen square on the floor. The rope was right above it. He stepped onto it, heartbeat rapid despite trying his very hardest to be calm. 

Sally had gone through the same thing. He could, too. If she was brave, he would be. She wasn’t brave. What was he saying? Instead of surviving the difficult laws, she had run. She didn’t even try to survive. She tried the easy way out. Sally hadn’t even told Wilbur. She hadn’t talked to him about her worries. She had just tried to leave him. He had to push through while she tried to leave to a better life. Then, as she was about to die, the horror on her face proved just how weak she really was. She had never been brave, and never was until her dying breath. She had been a coward. Wilbur would be better.

Then he blinked and the thoughts of her were gone. He almost wanted to cry for getting so angry. She was his wife. Had been. How could be speak so cruelly of her?

The rope was placed around his neck. It was thick and rough. 

Sally and Wilbur had met by their parents. Wilbur’s mother and father had been friends with hers ever since hers moved to town. Their parents had been talking at the market. Wilbur and Sally were each picking out food when their hands each reached for the same head of cabbage. It was like a scene from a romance novel. They both yanked their hands away nervously, laughing. He had prayed for his parents to hurry up so he could escape the awkward situation. Eventually, his brain realized what had happened. There was a gorgeous girl in front of him that was his age. Though it made him nervous, he struck up a conversation and even managed to make her laugh a few times. Sally made Wilbur more nervous than he ever had been. Even now, seconds from death, the butterflies in his stomach couldn’t compare to the ones he got when she laughed. 

The executioner placed his hand on the lever. 

Wilbur hadn’t even noticed the crowd below him. The entirety of the SMP stood there, eyes on him, waiting. He didn’t see anyone he knew. Nonetheless, they looked at him with such sorrow that it was like they were all old friends. King Dream was standing next to George. The king had the nerve to smile. Wilbur was a marionette. He had seen a few in the square. They were little puppets controlled by strings, meant to make children laugh. Wilbur had some sort of string around him right now. He was the puppet, at the kings will to get him to smile. King Dream was the child. It was a bad analogy, but Wilbur wasn’t in the state of mind to think of anything better. His hunger was practically carving his stomach out. That’s all he could bother to think of.

Tension in between him and the rope was great. It pulled on him, almost holding him up already. The tightness disappeared out of nowhere, causing him to stumble to the side. Gasps came from the crowd. Shouts came from offstage. It was all dull. The sounds came to him like he was underwater. Everything was peaceful underwater.

Someone grabbed his arm. He was thrown off the front of the gallows. Not thrown, dragged. Someone was running with him. The crowd parted and he was gone past it. They seemed to fly by at a million miles per hour. The person was shouting at him. They stopped running. Wilbur was suddenly on a horse, though he didn’t know when that happened. His mind was blurry. It felt like he had drunk too much wine. The horse took off. It galloped through the gates, which were open. Down the path to the Nomel Kingdom. They diverged into an area of grassy hills and went on for a few minutes. The horse stopped. Wilbur was on the ground. He was lying on grass. The sun was directly in his eyes. Blue sky. Blond hair. Freckles. Fruit. Saved. Safe? Dying. Darkness.

Wilbur’s vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe if I continue this, I might put it into its own story. I'm not sure. They're fun to write, but pretty exhausting.


	9. Safe? (Medieval AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur wakes up and tries to figure out what happened.

Deep breaths. He had to take deep breaths. His breathing at the moment was irregular gasps. There was sky above him. Blue sky. Light and beautiful, clouds across it. The clouds were moving at unnatural speeds. The world was moving. He closed his eyes slowly. When he opened them again, it was all better. The clouds had slowed. The earth had stopped spinning. His breaths were smooth. He was alive.

He was alive.

Wilbur sat up. His stomach growled, yet he ignored it as he always had. He had nothing to eat. Around him was grass. It was all green and yellow and bright and the opposite of the cell he had spent the night in. Perhaps he was dead. Such a beautiful place couldn’t exist anywhere but the afterlife. He wasn’t in the SMP. He wasn’t in prison, or in Nomel. He was gone from the world. 

So why was he still hungry?

He raised his hand and saw an apple in it. Fruit. Apples were the cheapest food. They were filling, too. Tasty as well. Without thinking about why he had it, he bit into it. He had eaten the whole thing before he knew it, the juice smeared across his chin. He wiped it off. Then, he began to wonder about what he had just done. Why was he holding an apple? Who had given it to him? Was he Snow White in this scenario? Who was the Evil Queen, then? Was the apple poisoned?

Staying seated was probably his best bet. If there were wild animals, they might not think he was a threat if he was smaller than they were. Or, they would think he was a free meal. Someone said something. By the time the noise made it to his brain, it was such an echo that he didn’t understand. It had come from behind him. Turning his head slowly, he saw two people. No, one person. His vision was playing tricks on him. The double vision merged into one. The person was approaching him slowly, like they were nervous about what his reaction might he. Freckles. It was Fundy, who he recognized even through the haze he was seeing through. Wilbur’s son had a log over his shoulder. He looked like he was struggling carrying it. He looked back and said something to someone. The person replied, and Wilbur saw who it was. Blond. Tommy was carrying the back of the wood, and looked so weighted down by it that he might fall over. Sweat poured down his face. It was hardly hot out. Wilbur watched as they set the log down next to the food cart.

The food cart? Where had that come from? Questions swarmed around like noisy bees in his head. He stared at the grass, playing with the blades lazily. From the corner of his eye, he saw Fundy walk over to him. Fundy wiped his forehead and sat down next to Wilbur. Finally, he started to talk and began to answer all of the questions he could.

“Are you all right?” was Fundy’s first sentence. Wilbur chuckled and reassured his son that he was good. He had fainted, Fundy said, right after getting off of the horse. Wilbur asked “what horse?” to which Fundy responded with “Tommy’s.” When Fundy saw the confused look on Wilbur’s face, his eyes widened. “Do you remember what happened?” Fundy asked. Wilbur shook his head. All he remembered was flashes of color and bits of noise. Then, to Wilbur’s relief, Fundy began to summarize the recent events. 

Fundy and Tommy had been stranded in the woods in between the SMP and Nomel with nothing but the clothes on their back and a single horse. They had been forced to sleep on the grass, shivering from the cold wind all night. When they woke up, they made a plan to rescue Wilbur. They knew the time that the execution would take place, eight. They also knew that the entire village and guards would be there as well. The viewing was mandatory, after all. The two had entered the kingdom quietly, an hour before the hanging. That was when everyone was required to be in the square by. The kingdom gate was left open from six to nine, so that any guards who had the night patrol around the walls could re-enter before they closed again. 

Tommy and Fundy split up and each went separate ways. Tommy had been assigned with the task of sneaking into the stables and stealing a horse. He had stolen food before for Tubbo, so stealing a simple horse would be easy. 

Fundy stayed with the horse they already had. He found the cart near the front wall. It still had all the food in it, but it had been covered with a thick cloth so no one could see what was inside. To make sure no one even neared it, a paper had been pinned to the cloth stating that anyone who tried to take from the cart would be thrown in prison immediately. King Dream had probably already seen the cart, and would return to take it back to his castle and have a feast. Fundy attached the horse to the cart, and rode it to the gates. Before leaving, however, he jumped off and ran a few houses down to a very small bakery. 

This wasn’t part of the plan, but he knew Tommy wouldn’t mind at all. Fundy knocked on the door softly. It was opened by a woman who Fundy knew very well. Her name was Niki. She was one of the appointed bakers, and had been the one to supply Wilbur with the bread in his cart. He was let in, and he walked to the back bedroom from where he heard the loud coughing. On the bed was Tubbo. He had been brought here by Wilbur, after Wilbur had left for Nomel yesterday morning. Tubbo was starving, yes, but that’s because he was so sick that he couldn’t keep down anything fed to him. Which wasn’t much, but being under the care of a baker would probably improve that. However, Fundy wasn’t expecting there to be a royal guard next to Tubbo. Fundy was preparing to run away. If he was caught by the guards back in the SMP, he’d be imprisoned. 

Then Fundy realized that the guard was spoon feeding Tubbo something. It looked like very watery vegetable soup. Tubbo’s eyes were closed as he looked nearly dead, but he was eating the soup. The guard, who said his name was Eret, assured Fundy that he was helping Niki take care of Tubbo. Eret was a guard, yes, but not a cruel one. Fundy originally didn’t trust him. No guard would ever take care of anyone but themselves. Besides, they were all supposed to be at the gallows, prepping it for the execution. Eret said that he was Niki’s friend who she came to when she didn’t know what to do. Tubbo was dying and she had no idea how to help. As a guard, it was required that they had some medical knowledge. He offered to take care of him, because before King Dream, that’s what guards were supposed to do.  
Fundy then went back out to talk to Niki. He had come back to take Tubbo and her, and they needed to go now. She had tried to argue at first, saying she needed more time. Fundy refused. Niki then said that Eret had to come too, or else Tubbo would surely die. Fundy, who was running out of time to get out of the kingdom, agreed. Eret carried Tubbo to the cart. He and Niki stayed hidden with Tubbo while Fundy steered the cart from outside the kingdom. They had to make the horse go as fast as it could, and even then Fundy was nervous that they would get arrested.

After a while, Fundy got so scared that he drove the cart a few miles into the hills beside the path. He went some hills and then stopped to hide. He ended up being in a field with a large grove of trees nearby. While the cart was parked, he left it to go through the small woods. It was a lot larger than it looked, and even had a stream running through it. When he returned, Tommy was there. He had managed to find Fundy. Tommy had completed his own task of saving Wilbur. He had run into the town square, sword in hand. He ran onto the platform, and before the guards knew what was happening, he sliced the rope and was dragging Wilbur through the crowd. They had both gotten onto Tommy’s horse. Tommy then rode out of the kingdom swiftly. He somehow got a head start on the guards, and to get away from them he rode off the path into the hills.

He found Fundy, and they set down Wilbur. Wilbur still had the noose around his neck, since Tommy had cut the rope holding it to the wooden pole. They cut the noose off his neck. As soon as Fundy set him down on the ground, he fainted. Eret decided that Wilbur would only be out for a few minutes. Tommy and Fundy had gone off to the grove to collect some wood. As they returned, Wilbur had woken up. 

Wilbur’s eyes were wide when Fundy concluded his story. He couldn’t even begin to believe what he had just heard. The idea that his brother and son would risk their lives for him was incredible. He stood up shakily. “Thank you.” He said, smiling at Fundy. The gesture was returned, and for a moment the two forgot their troubles. They could imagine the time where they had each other and Sally, back before King Dream. Back when their biggest problems had been which food was the cheapest, not when they would next eat. Simpler times that would never come again.

“Fundy, aren’t you going to get more wood?” Tommy shouted. He was coming back from the woods with another log. This one was smaller, like a large branch. Behind him was Niki, carrying a similar one. Fundy stood up and brushed off his pants. He said something to Tommy. Tommy replied with more shouting. He was so tired that he was practically crawling up the hill. Niki walked right past him, turning back and asking if he needed help. Fundy nodded to Wilbur, and then walked down to Tommy. He grabbed Tommy’s branch, laughing at the boy’s lack of strength.

Once Wilbur was able to stand up again, the first thing he did was run over to the cart. He jumped up to go inside. He didn’t understand how Fundy didn’t seem more worried over Tubbo. Tubbo was sicker than Wilbur had ever imagined. He might die. Though Wilbur couldn’t do much, he had to help as much as he could. Even sitting next to his brother would make him feel better than doing nothing.

Inside, Tubbo was lying wrapped in a blanket on the floor. Eret was sitting on a barrel above Tubbo. He was holding a bowl of soup, similar to the one Fundy described. Tubbo looked horrible. Wilbur had seen him every day when he cared for him and tried to feed him. After not seeing him for two days, Wilbur realized how bad he really looked. His skin was pale, nearly yellow in color. It was stretched tightly over his small frame. His eyes were sunken into his head. Wilbur couldn’t tell if he had managed to get even skinner, or if he just hadn’t noticed how small Tubbo had become. He sat down on a barrel next to Eret. This wasn’t Wilbur’s fault, but he had the awful feeling that it was.

Eret nodded towards the ill boy. “I’m going to try and feed him. Are you going to stay?” He held up the bowl of soup. At first glance, it looked like water. Now Wilbur saw that it was a light green liquid with bits of vegetables floating around.

Wilbur forced himself to look away from Tubbo. Eret was still wearing his guards uniform. Seeing the familiar armor on someone he was meant to trust made him uneasy. How was he to be certain that Eret was really on their side? Whatever their side was, anyways. Eret moved from the barrel onto the floor next to Tubbo. He stirred the spoon around once, mixing the vegetables as best he could, then took a spoonful. He held it towards Tubbos mouth. Tubbo made no movement, but his chest still rose and fell with breaths. Wilbur watched as the soup disappeared into the boy’s mouth. Eret waited a moment, reaching back to grab a separate bowl from behind the barrel. 

“What’s that for?” Wilbur asked.

Eret was focused on Tubbo. Once he seemed satisfied, he scooped up another spoon of the soup. “It’s for… when he can’t keep down the soup.” Eret said it so casually that Wilbur was sure he had seen it happen many times. Wilbur nodded, but left the cart quickly as the second spoonful met Tubbo’s lips. 

Outside, the sun was in between mid-sky and the horizon, meaning it was around three. Fundy and Niki were gone. Only Tommy was left. He was seated on the grass, farther from the cart and the growing woodpile. He had picked two strands of grass from the dirt and was tying them in a knot. He accidentally ripped the pieces apart. He picked two new ones, tossing those aside. Wilbur figured that Fundy and Niki, who were stronger, had suggested that he stay while they got more logs. Tommy noticed the shadow of Wilbur and moved aside so his brother could sit.

Wilbur crossed his legs, looking out at the endless hills. “Are we going to stay here for a while?”

The grass ripped. More was picked from the ground. “Well, Wilbur, we’re not allowed in the SMP anymore. We don’t have a choice.” He took a shaky breath. Wilbur placed his hand on Tommy’s shoulder to try and help him. He was only fifteen. He was going through so much. Tommy threw the grass aside but didn’t pick up new pieces. “But no, we’re not staying here exactly.” He continued. “We’re just collecting wood for a fire tonight. Fundy knows of a town not far from here. He said that his friend’s grandparents were from there, but it was abandoned after the soil became too dry for farming. He thinks that we could stay there for as long as we need.”

“How far?”

“Far enough that they won’t find us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I doubt I'm going to mention it in the story, here's my ideas of the main characters. They all have their normal hair (Niki's is just blonde). They all have on medieval villager clothing (just look it up). Belt, boots, baggy pants. Niki has a light red dress. I'm debating whether I should put this in its own story, or leave it in here.


	10. Eret's Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eret's betrayal of L'Manberg in the Final Control Room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Gore, death

Darkness had swept over the land. The only lighting was the half moon in the sky. Not even the stars were shining tonight. Five figures walked slowly along a tall wall, looking for the entrance into the area within. Torches were spaced out on the border. The people traveled in a single file line. Each one had noticeable bags under their eyes, which flickered around nervously as if expecting an attack at any moment. The men each wore matching uniforms. The colors were bathed in orange from the warm lights. Wilbur led the group a few more feet. They were practically pressed against the wall. At last, he spotted the small opening that would lead the soldiers into their home.

After each person climbed through the secret door, it was closed again. They all let out a sigh of relief. Tubbo took a seat on the ground. He leaned on a tree, shutting his eyes sleepily. Each of them was tired. War wasn’t easy. They hadn’t expected it to be, of course, but they hadn’t prepared for this much fighting. Now, here they were. Their armor had all been beaten by weapons over and over. It was only a matter of time before it fell apart completely. Only Wilbur still had a full set. The others were all missing chest plates, and Fundy had lost his helmet. Luckily, they each still had a sheathed sword dangling from their belt. That was it.

They had lost already. Continuing to fight was a suicide mission, but what choice did they have? Backing down wasn’t an option either.

The five were silent in thought. Wilbur and Fundy were standing in between the wall and the tree, and Tommy was sitting next to Tubbo, while Eret was off by himself, looking out at L’Manberg. Dry grass crunched under his boots while he returned to the group. Wilbur looked to him, eyes dim but hopeful. He wouldn’t admit that he was out of ideas. Not until he was sure. He couldn’t disappoint his men just yet.

Eret glanced down at Tubbo and Tommy. He opened his mouth to speak, paused, and continued. “Gentlemen,” he said, “nearby, in L’Manberg, I have put together a secret weapon.”

Tubbo half opened his eyes. “A secret weapon?” He muttered. He frowned, like he was preparing himself to be disappointed.

“What is it?” Wilbur asked hesitantly.

Eret nodded his head sideways, the opposite direction of the wall. “I’m going to need you to follow me.”

Wilbur furrowed his brow as if questioning what Eret was up to. Trusting people wasn’t easy, especially now. Even trusting his own men was difficult. Tommy stood up, and held down his hand to help Tubbo up too. Fundy eyed his dad and shrugged. What harm could it do to take a look at whatever Eret had? This might be able to save them. If Eret really did have a secret weapon, it could get them to win the war. It could get them to survive. Though they were each willing to give up all three of their lives fighting for what was right, why should they if they had a weapon that could get them to win instantly? Wilbur nodded to Eret, who began to lead them away from the wall.

Towards the very center of L’Manberg they walked. Most of the country was made up of trees. Even the houses and buildings that had been built were surrounded by them. It was hard to get around, with the numerous plants and non-existent lighting. Each of them was so tired that multiple times someone tripped on their own feet, or ran right into a tree. The last time they had a full night of sleep had been at least a few weeks ago, maybe more. While Tubbo and Fundy drowsily trailed behind, Wilbur and Tommy were at Eret’s side, quietly asking him questions.

Tommy, though tired, hadn’t lost his demanding personality. “Seriously, what do you mean you’ve got a secret weapon?” He asked.

“Well, I’ve managed to gather materials and equipment for us.” Eret said casually.

Wilbur took in his surroundings. He couldn’t make out much. How was Eret even able to guide them in the dark? Based on where they had been walking and for how long, Wilbur assumed that they were somewhere near the lake. The lake was almost directly in the middle of the country. The closest building was far away, and Eret was leading them even further from it. Wilbur’s worries were growing more and more. “Eret, where are you taking us?” He ordered.

Suddenly, the group halted. Fundy accidentally ran right into Tommy. Eret had stopped, and was looking at Wilbur. He was obviously annoyed at the leader. “This won’t work if you’re going to remain suspicious of me the entire time. I’m simply trying to help. If you don’t want it, please just say that.” Eret said.

Tommy glared at Wilbur. He went to stand besides Eret, opposing his brother. “Will, why are you being like this? We need his help. He’s literally our last hope.” He snapped, crossing his arms.

Before Wilbur could speak, Tubbo exclaimed, “Just show us! There’s no time!” Wilbur looked at Eret to consider his options. When he thought of no better ones, he held his hand out to the woods. He was gesturing that Eret could continue.

He didn’t have much further to go. Wilbur was right. They were by the lake. In fact, that’s exactly where Eret took them. The moon was finally visible when they walked into the clearing surrounding the water. It seemed even brighter on it. The reflection looked almost magical.

There was a hill on the opposite side of the lake. It started in the water, where it was shallowest. The ground went up almost vertically for a few feet, and then sloped to meet the other side. It was made of light grey stone. Eret led them to the risen ground. Their surprise grew greatly when he stepped into the water. It was only ankle deep, so his boots didn’t get soaked. He walked over to the middle of the face of the hill. His eyes were scanning the water for something. He must’ve found it, because he stuck his hand in the water and grabbed something below. His hand started to slowly move in circles. He was turning a wheel. As Eret turned it more, the face of the hill on the lake started to move. There was a door on the vertical part of the wall. It opened, starting from the bottom and gradually rising. When it had completely risen, Eret stopped turning the wheel and stood back up.

The four others peered through the opening. Torches lit the long passageway. From what they could see, it stretched on for forever. Wilbur was the first to enter. He stepped into the lake, and then through the doorway. Water was already pouring into it and spreading across the cold floor. Tommy was next, followed by Fundy and Tubbo. Eret was last. As soon as he walked in, he flicked a lever that was by the door. It slammed shut, falling back into the water. It hit the floor with a booming noise that made some of them flinch. Droplets of water splashed onto them.

The light from the moon on the lake was gone. They were back to the eerie glow of the fires. Eret didn’t hesitate before going on. “This way, gentlemen. I’m excited to show you.” He said, leading them on. The only noise they heard for a while was splashes from walking in the water. When the water was gone, it was the squeak of their wet boots. No one made a sound. At this point, Tubbo was struggling to stay awake. He leaned against the wall while he walked. His eyelids drooped, and he rubbed them every few seconds so that he wouldn’t pass out. Fundy was yawning too. He stayed behind with the younger boy to make sure that neither of them fell asleep or was left behind.

The four, excluding Eret, who seemed wide awake, dragged themselves down a spiral set of stairs next. The stairs thankfully didn’t go down for far. After, there was another corridor. It was a lot shorter than the first one, which had taken them at least three minutes to walk through. At the end of this passage was an opening. Eret took them through the opening, into a small room. “Behold, my secret-weapon.” He announced.

Wilbur, Fundy, Tommy and Tubbo all looked around in awe. When had Eret had the time to make such a room? The ceiling, floor, and walls were made from a dark brick material. On the two side walls, chests were stacking to the ceiling on shelf upon shelf. In the very middle of the room was a little wooden podium. It couldn’t have been more than two inches long on any side. It rose up slightly higher than waist level. On the flat top was a bright red button.

Fundy wandered to the back of the room, looking around at everything. Above each chest was a sign that read what was in it. “Eret, what is this?” Fundy wondered, reading some of the labels. He couldn’t believe Eret had managed to get this many materials.

“This is the Final Control Room.” Eret said. He smiled as he watched the four examine everything with disbelief. They had a chance! They weren’t going to lose after all! With this much armor and weapons, they were almost guaranteed to come out on top. They all were each so happy that none of them noticed Eret nearing the button.

Wilbur stayed at the front of the room, glancing over everything. He was the first to actually open a chest, and not just stare at it. When he saw the contents of it, he looked up at Eret in confusion. “There’s nothing in the chests.” The chest was completely empty. Though the words above it read ‘diamond armor,’ there was none inside. His gaze flickered down to Eret’s hand, which was slowly reaching for the button so that no one would notice. Wilbur’s eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening. “Get out, get out, get out!” He screamed to the others.

Wilbur’s warning came a second too late. Eret’s finger was already on the button, ready to press it down. With his free hand, he held it up to his forehead in a salute. “Down with the revolution, boys. It was never meant to be.” Everyone’s faces went from joy to absolute disappointment. They went from thinking they had a chance to that chance being ripped from their hands.

Eret pressed on the button.

It all happened so fast that no one knew what was happening or how it had even happened at all. Two passages at the back of the room and one on either wall opened up. They had been so carefully concealed in the bricks that even Wilbur hadn’t noticed. From each opening, an armed person jumped out. Sapnap and George came from the two at the back. Punz and Dream had been hidden in the ones on the sides. Each one had what looked like brand new armor, and at least two gleaming blades of some sort. It had all been a trap.

Wilbur, from his spot by the door, watched it all unfold without having the time to do anything. Fundy was gone within seconds. Since he was closest to the back, George was on him first. Fundy drew his sword and tried to defend himself. Fundy was so tired that the weapon completely missed his opponent. George’s own sword, made of beautiful diamond, stabbed right through Fundy’s body. The redhead didn’t even try to fight any more. He simply collapsed, hitting his head with a thud on the corner of a chest. Blood began to dampen his hair, turning it from orange to maroon.

Tubbo had a little longer before he was slaughtered. He was trying to fight with Sapnap, though not very successfully. He was attempting to gather enough energy to continue dueling, and found himself backed into a corner. Sapnap swung his axe towards his stomach, where Tubbo managed to hold it off with his sword. He was already weak from exhaustion, and the element of surprise was against him. He let go of the handle of his weapon, and it clattered at his feet. Sapnap instantly drew back his golden axe and swung. It cut right through Tubbo’s stomach. His face contorted and he grabbed at his wound. The blood stained his hands instantly. He, too, fell onto the ground. Sapnap stood by, making sure he didn’t try to escape.

Tommy was with Wilbur, still by the door. As their two friends were killed, they turned and ran together. It would be better if they survived then if none of them did. Up the stairs they went, running for their lives. Though they were breathing so heavily that they felt light-headed, they sprinted on down the passageway. The further they went, the faster they ran. The door was so close that they could see it. Water was still in a puddle on the floor. They kept running, forcing themselves to not stop. Unfortunately, they had to anyways, when they saw that Eret was waiting by the entrance.

It hurt Tommy and Wilbur to see that the traitor was still wearing his L’Manberg uniform. He had his sword drawn. He was standing in front of the lever. They weren’t going to leave without a fight.

Wilbur already had his weapon ready. Instead of being mad, like Tommy, he was deeply hurt. “Eret, how could you?” Wilbur asked honestly. He wanted to know what had made his friend go to the opposing side. How had Eret just sat and watched while Fundy and Tubbo died? “How could you do this to all of us? To Tubbo?” Wilbur knew how close Tubbo had been to Eret. They had laughed together, cried together, had fun together. One day, the two had spent it building a farm with Tommy. It had ended with them throwing dirt at each other playfully.

Eret frowned thoughtfully. “I took the side of the victor. Unfortunately, Wilbur, this time it’s not you.”

Wilbur looked as if he was about to cry, so he turned to face the wall. Seeing Wilbur cry was something Tommy never thought he'd see. It made him feel even more uneasy. This was all Eret’s fault. The blond was shaking from both fear and rage. In a split second, his sword was at Eret’s neck. “Eret, listen to me, and I mean this in the nicest way possible. You fucked up.” He hissed through clenched teeth.

Eret remained calm. He didn’t even flinch when Tommy pressed the blade, drawing a few drops of blood. He just said, “Farewell, gentlemen.”

Tommy thought he was bluffing. He was trying to gain some time before Tommy sliced his throat. What he wasn’t expecting was to hear a splash next to his feet. He turned to look at Wilbur, and nearly dropped his sword from shock. Wilbur’s head was gone. He was looking at a bloody stump. Wilbur’s body stood for another second before falling into the water by his severed head.

Tommy felt his stomach turn, and backed up to lean on the wall for support. The clear water was already scarlet. He was standing in Wilbur’s blood. The body was blocked from his view when Punz appeared instead. The blade of his axe was coated in red liquid. He had been the one to kill Wilbur. Tommy held onto his sword tightly and tried to bring it down on Punz’s head. Punz swung back, knocking the sword away. Then, Dream was at Tommy’s side. His own weapon, a glowing purple sword, went sideways through Tommy. He collapsed, burying the blade deeper in his body. He was dead in an instant.

They all were one life down. Now, only two to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, they each still have three lives (the last two lines duh haha), but I didn't mention the bodies disappearing or anything because I felt it might take away from it. This was definitely the hardest one to write for me. It was really hard to change Eret's betrayal so that Tommy could still say his iconic line. It has a lot of conversation and violence, both which I'm not very good at, which is mainly why I tried to include them in this.


End file.
